Chemistry of Pyridine

Pyridine, its benzo and pyridine-based compounds play diverse roles in organic chemistry. As ligands, solvents, and catalysts they facilitate reactions; thus descriptions of these new ligands and their applications abound each year. Pyridine-based materials are valued for their optical and physical properties as well as their medical potential. Additionally, pyridine-based natural products continue to be discovered and studied for their properties and to understand their biosynthesis. Pyridine is an example of a six-membered aromatic heterocycle and has an electronic structure similar to benzene. Pyridine is cyclic, conjugated, and has three pi bonds. There is a total of six pi electrons, which is a Huckel number and the molecule is aromatic.Pyridine is used as a solvent and to make many different products such as medicines, vitamins, food flavorings, pesticides, paints, dyes, rubber products, adhesives, and waterproofing for fabrics. Pyridine can also be formed from the breakdown of many natural materials in the environment.